Expert Reviews of uMkhuze Game Reserve (7 Reviews)

uMkhuze Game Reserve, part of the UNESCO-listed iSimangaliso Wetland Park, is renowned for its fantastic hides, and Kumasinga stands out as my favorite, especially for photography. The water surrounds the stilted structure, creating a perfect vantage point. During the dry winter months, there is a constant stream of animals coming to drink, with afternoons offering the best action. I usually settle in for the day, though even a couple of hours is enough to break up a game drive and provide plenty of wildlife excitement.

Nyalas, impalas and warthogs are almost always present, while white rhinos often appear alone or in small groups. A herd of elephants can dominate the waterhole, creating a truly memorable spectacle. Often, multiple species share the water simultaneously. Zebras and wildebeests frequently wade into the water, coming close enough to the hide that you feel you could almost reach out and touch them. With patience and quiet, lucky visitors may also see wild dogs

Read more

or even a leopard.

The thick vegetation can make game drives challenging, but the reserve is home to the full Big Five and a good variety of other species, so surprises are always around the corner. I particularly enjoyed the guided walk through the Fig Tree Forest. This area is a hotspot for Zululand birding specials, and I managed to tick off several species. Most of all, I was captivated by the magnificent ancient fig trees, which are best appreciated from the raised wooden platforms in the canopy.

What most distinguishes this small Zululand reserve is its network of three photographic hides overlooking waterholes that seasonally attract incredible numbers of wildlife. The best of these is Masinga Hide, a stilted wooden construction that stands above the water offering exceptional photographic opportunities on three sides. On one visit we counted about a dozen white rhino in one day. We have always been treated to an ongoing parade of impala, warthog, zebra and chacma baboon. The striking nyala antelope is common. The male is likely to be seen performing its spectacular dominance display, erecting its long white spinal crest in a bristle of assertiveness. More occasional drinkers include elephant, black rhino, giraffe and even lion and leopard. On a moderately busy day, you might easily shoot 500–1,000 frames at the hide.

uMkhuze is also an exceptional birding destination. Masinga Hide is a great place to see the likes of crested guineafowl, purple-crested turaco, crested

Read more

barbet, red-bellied mannikin and grey waxbill coming to drink, often within easy photographic range. It is also worth heading south to Nsumo Pan, where hippos grunt in shallows, enclosed by a margin of tall yellow fever trees. Birdlife here includes African fish eagle, osprey, great white egret, goliath heron, African jacana, both types of pelican and several species of kingfisher. Further south still, I recently did the legendary guided Fig Forest Walk, which runs through a lush patch of groundwater forest dominated by gorgeous old sycamore figs. Forest birds likely to be seen here include Pel’s fishing owl, trumpeter hornbill, gorgeous bush-shrike, African broadbill, African paradise flycatcher and dark-backed weaver. We didn’t see any mammal larger than a baboon on the walk. However, our guide said he has previously encountered elephant, buffalo and even lion on the trail – a prospect that helps spice things up!